10 tips from dermatologists for healthy skin

10 tips from dermatologists for healthy skin – words Alexa Wang

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and one of the most
complex. But as an organ that is constantly exposed to the elements, it is
always at risk. There are more than 3000 known skin disorders, so you need to
take extra special care of your epidermis.

Your skin is the
largest organ in your body, and one of the most complex. But as an organ that
is constantly exposed to the elements, it is always at risk. There are more
than 3000 known skin disorders, so you need to take extra special care of your
epidermis.

To find out how
to look after your skin, it’s best to go to the experts: dermatologists. These
10 tips will help you keep your skin healthy – and healthy skin looks great!

1.Use sunscreen

This is the tip you were expecting. You’ve heard
it many times before, but there’s a reason dermatologists tend to rank
sunscreen at the top of their list of skincare tips.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun has incredibly
damaging effects on your skin, from sunburn to skin cancer. It also causes
your skin to age at a much faster rate.

Using sunscreen every day before leaving the
house is the closest thing to finding the fountain of youth. You might find
that your BB cream or foundation has an SPF factor, but to be certain you’re
protected it pays to use broad-spectrum protection as well.

Always put sunscreen on top of moisturiser, not the other way around, and don’t forget your neck, décolletage and the backs of your hands. These areas of skin are often exposed to the elements, yet we tend to forget about protecting them.

This is particularly obvious around your mouth,
which has to cope with the double insult of tobacco damage and your lips
pursing as you draw on a cigarette. You can tell an older smoker by the
vertical lines radiating from their lips. Smoking also exacerbates psoriasis
and eczema.

3.Get regular
skin cancer checks

Keep an eye on freckles and moles. If you notice
that something’s changing or you develop a new mole or freckle that’s different
from the others, go and see your GP. There are various forms of skin cancer,
and not all of them are dangerous, but it never hurts to get an expert opinion.

4. Don’t
over-cleanse when you have an acne breakout

Acne isn’t just for teens. Adults can have acne
in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. When you have a breakout, it’s easy to
overdo the treatment trying to fix things quickly.

Instead, use a gentle cleansing product that
won’t upset your skin’s pH, like Okana’s Apple
Juice Foaming Cleanser, wash your face first thing in the morning, and the last
thing at night. Only cleanse during the day if you’ve had a sweaty workout.
Whatever you do, avoid exfoliating when you have a breakout – it can make
things way worse.

5. Keep your
stress under control

Stress can bring on flare-ups of psoriasis,
eczema, and rosacea, so making time to find inner calm with yoga or meditation
is a way to preserve your good looks as well as your mental health.

Even a simple after-dinner walk can send your
stress packing, especially if you cancel out any anxious inner voices by
listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks.

6.Don’t work out
with makeup on

Before you hit the gym or head out on a run, take
a moment to remove your makeup. Sweat needs to get out of your pores and heavy
makeup block that.

Your pores can become clogged, providing the
perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Working out in your war paint is just
asking for blackheads or an acne breakout.

7. Clean your
phone screen every day

Your phone can pick up a lot of dirt throughout
the day, and it touches your skin every time you take a call.

Get into the habit of cleaning your phone at
least once a day. If it’s waterproof, a wet face cloth with a touch of soap
will do the job nicely. If not, use a tissue dampened with some glass cleaner.

8. Your lips are
the canary in the coal mine

Miners used to keep caged canaries with them
while at work. Dangerous levels of lethal gases would kill the canary before
the miners were affected, warning them so they could escape – gruesome but true.

For you, the canary is your lips. When they start
to feel dry, it’s time for heavy-duty facial moisturising. Dry lips are a sign
that your skin is getting dehydrated.

9.Eat more fatty
acids

Your skin needs omega-3 to make lipids, which
keep it plump and youthful. Forget the scaremongering you’ve heard about fats.
Not all fats are created equal, and a low-fat diet is actually bad for you.

The trick is eating the right fats. Feast on
foods like salmon, avocado, and walnuts. For an extra boost, you can even take
a couple of fish oil capsules every day.

10. Less
towelling for more moisture

If your skin is inclined to be dry, apply
moisturisers when your skin is still moist from the shower rather than drying
yourself completely.

By leaving moisture on your skin, you have the opportunity to trap hydration with good quality emollients likeOkana’sVegetable Day Moisturiser for your face andAvocado Smash Body Butter for the rest of you.